The Wonder of Women
by Helena Mira
Summary: Young Hal thinks about the different women in his life. He discovers new things about how he feels about his new mother, his old mother, and women in general.


_Young Hal ponders the women in his life as Christmas approaches. He discovers something about his love for new Mom, his old Mom, and women in general._

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from their use._

**The Wonder of Women**

**Prologue: Turning Thirteen**

Turning thirteen was a big deal for young Hal Everett. It wasn't just becoming a teenager that felt different. He was also starting to grow taller, much taller. In fact, it seemed like pretty soon he would be taller than Nanny. He also felt older. It wasn't just the number that was older, he felt older inside. He was starting to look around and seeing things differently. He was looking at men and women in new ways and seeing that there were some big differences in the ways that they acted.

He listened to how the other guys in school talked, and a lot of them talked about girls and how pretty they were and which girls were friendlier to the guys than others. Most of the girls didn't seem very friendly at all, but others were always trying to get the guys' attention. Most of them succeeded, but then the guys talked about them. He thought that some of his friends had pretty vivid imaginations. He felt sorry for the girls that they talked about. They talked about personal things that happened between them. somehow, it just didn't seem right.

Hal found that he just couldn't talk about girls or think about them like that. His father had finally realized that he loved Nanny. Of course his Dad would never have talked about her like that to him. But he also figured that he never talked about her like that at all, to anyone. And he knew that Nanny would never act the way that some of the guys said that some of the girls did. She was very modest. He and the rest of the kids knew that she loved Dad because of the way that she looked at him. It was a very special look. Dad looked at her in a special way too. When they talked, Dad was always very gentle and kind. He was also respectful. He treated her like a lady.

When he looked at his Dad and thought about his friends, he thought that when he found a girl that he liked, he would want to copy his Dad. He would talk to her nicely and respectfully. He wouldn't try to make her do things that she might not want to do. And he certainly would never talk about her to the other guys afterwards about her. He would rather have her look at him in a special way than have her kissing him and expect him to do all sorts of other things with her. He didn't know why. It was just the way he felt about it.

Before the summer, things had been kind of weird at home. It all started when Nanny's parents had died and her cousin and younger sister had come to bring her back home to England. Her sister was only ten and Nanny had to go home to raise her. That made everyone real unhappy. Nanny was the first housekeeper that they had after their Mom died who really made them feel like a family again.

At first he hadn't liked her because she was saying and doing all kinds of crazy stuff. She entered Waldo in a dog show and he won because she told him to stand still (and he listened) while all the other dogs chased their guinea pig Myrtle around. Then she told them that Myrtle wanted to be called Mike because she, or he, now had told her.

She believed in the Wiblet, Prudence's imaginary monster. The typewriter mysteriously taught Prudence how to read the words love and family. She said that the tree frogs told her when it was going to rain. And the weird thing was that when she said that it would, then it did. No two ways about it, he thought that she was nuts.

But then she brought home a 1930 Model T Ford for him to fix up. He realized that even though he hadn't believed in her, she believed in him. When they finally got the car up and running and they had proved his Dad wrong about his mechanical abilities, he finally understood that her belief in the impossible could have its upsides. In this case, he had actually done something that everyone else but her, had thought was impossible. Well, he had to admit that Butch and Prudence had thought that he could do it too, but that really didn't count. They always thought whatever Nanny thought.

But now that he was used to her, they were suddenly going to lose her. However he was the one who figured out how to keep her there by having her sister come and live with them. There were times when he wondered how good an idea that had really been because Trelawney was even wackier than Nanny. But in the end, Trelawney had been a great help in keeping her with the family permanently.

They had gotten together to try and make Dad and Nanny realize that they were in love and should get married. It had been kind of fun trying to play Cupid and get them together. Trelawney loved to make mischief and had great ideas, but she didn't always know how to carry them off.

With her imagination and his know how, they made a great team, especially when Nanny's fiancé from birth showed up. He didn't like him because he could take Nanny away, but Trelawney hated him. Nobody, not even Nanny, knew why, but it meant that they were finally able to get rid of him once and for all.

Now they knew that Nanny and Dad really did love each other. The only problem was that his Dad hadn't gotten her a ring yet so that they could get engaged. They knew that it would happen at some point, but Dad kept saying that he wanted the perfect ring. It was really annoying.

**Another Mother**

Last summer had been the best summer of his life. Hal had liked the way that things had turned out for him at the end of his summer science program. It was only after the first few classes that he realized that he was the youngest participant. All of the other kids were in high school. When he applied he had known that he was just making the cutoff age at thirteen, but he had no idea that he would be the only rising eighth grader to be accepted. It was kind of neat, especially when the other guys treated him like an equal.

In this case, his age proved to be an advantage. Since most of the rest of the kids were juniors and seniors, and they knew lots of other juniors and seniors who hadn't been chosen, he had their immediate respect. They figured that because his Dad was a university mathematics professor that he was some kind of math and science genius. Considering the lack of respect he got at home, it was cool that his talents were appreciated somewhere.

Every day, his father dropped him off at the high school. On the way there they talked about all the really neat stuff he was learning about the space program and the applications of math and physics in the future of space research. It made him feel like a man to be able to hold a conversation like that with his Dad. He was even, on the rare occasion, able to tell him something he didn't know. It was great to have his father's full attention again.

After it became clear that sooner or later they were going to get married, however something new started to bug him. It made him feel very uncomfortable. Hal wanted his Dad to ask her to marry him so that they could get married and Nanny would stay with them forever. But one day when Nanny was picking him up at his science program something happened that made him realize that when they got married something else would happen. Nanny would be his stepmother, his new Mom.

When she came driving up in Arabella, the car he had rebuilt, one of the older guys whistled and said, "Whoa, Everett! Your mom is knockout! She must have been real young when she had you!"

"She's not my mom," answered Hal, feeling a little strange. "She's my nanny."

"Woo! Hoo! What a fox! I wish she was my nanny," commented one of the other guys. "I'd love to have her take care of me. In fact, I'd return the favor and take care of her, if you know what I mean."

There were several other guys there and they all started to whistle and shout out things like "Hey babe, you can nanny me any time you want" and "Why don't you get out of the car so we can see that gorgeous figure?" and "Hey doll, want a date?" They seemed to think that they were compliments or something. But Hal could see that Nanny was uncomfortable. Her face had turned red and she was just staring at the steering wheel.

Hal didn't like the sound of the innuendos, but didn't know what to say. Fortunately, one of the other high school guys, a junior named Topher, did.

"Shut up, you idiots!" he scolded. "And show a little respect. That is no way to talk about a lady."

The other guys were seniors, but everyone respected Topher because he was the smartest guy in the program. They apologized to Hal and walked away.

The next day at lunch, Topher made a point of sitting next to him.

"Thanks for standing up for me," said Hal.

"I wasn't really standing up for you," he said. "I was standing up for your nanny. I was taught to always respect women, no matter how pretty they are. She's a real pretty girl, but that doesn't mean that guys should bother her about it. I have five sisters and I would be real mad if any guy tried to say things like that to one of them."

"Nanny is pretty. And she's pretty special," said Hal. "She and my Dad are in love. They'll probably get married soon."

"Oh," said Topher. "So then I guess that she'll be your mom after all, your stepmom, but still your mom.

"I guess so," said Hal slowly. "I never thought about it like that before, but I guess that she will be my stepmother."

Topher looked at him sympathetically. "I suppose that you still miss your real mom. How long has she been gone?"

"Almost four years," replied Hal. "I remember her real well, but my younger brother and sister don't. They were too little. It's weird. I really want Nanny and Dad to get married, but I don't want her to be my mother. But I guess that that doesn't make sense."

"No," said Topher. "I think that it makes sense. You want her in your life, but you don't want her to replace your mom. But if she marries your dad you know that she will be replacing your mom. She'll be the new Mrs. Everett."

"Yeah," sighed Hal. "I know. I guess that's why I'm so mixed up."

"Well, buddy," said Topher. "Just know that I'm here to listen if you ever want to talk. I probably won't have any answers for you, but I am a good listener."

**Another Sister (Sort of)**

And he was. When one of the families in Hal's church needed help to fix up their house, not only did Topher help, but his whole church youth group. Hal had never heard of a church youth group before. They didn't have one at St. Andrews. But the pastor at Topher's church was a really groovy guy named Pastor Jason. Not only did he help with the project, but he helped with his own family.

Something strange had happened with Nanny and Trelawney that summer and Pastor Jason had helped them out. Hal was glad because now it meant that Pastor Jason was a good family friend. Dad and Nanny wouldn't let him go to Pastor Jason's church instead of St. Andrews, but he still got to see him because he was around to help with Trelawney.

Even though she annoyed him a lot of the time, he still felt sorry for her. She was really a weird kid. She had two best friends, Francine Fowler, who lived next-door and Topher's sister Sarah. She was so far ahead from her school in England that she had skipped a grade. Hal didn't like to admit it, but she was also really smart.

Part of her problem was that she didn't know how weird she was and so when the other kids made fun of her she always had a clever answer. Half the time, they didn't even realize that she was making fun of them. She would use big words and speak in funny word orders. She gave some of her teachers sass too. It was a problem, but at least it was one that Topher could help him with.

"Hal, I know it's tough," he explained. "But Trelawney is a real sweet kid. Sarah said that she's still real sad that she lost her parents. She doesn't mean to be weird but American school is hard for her. I protected her from that reporter last summer, remember? It's because she needs protecting."

"Yeah, " said Hal. "I know. But some of the kids she needs protecting from are my friends."

"Well," said Topher. "If your friends have nothing better to do than pick on an orphan girl then maybe you want to find new friends. They don't sound like very nice people to me."

Hal was silent. He had never met anyone like Topher before, except for maybe Nanny. What he had just said about his friends was just the kind of thing that she would say.

"I wish I could be like that," said Hal. "But it's hard."

Once again, Topher looked at him sympathetically.

"It's always hard to stand up for what you know is right," he said. "People don't always like you, but in the end they do respect you. And you may not have as many friends, but the friends that you do have will be nicer people. If your friends right now make fun of Trelawney, I'm sure that there are other kids that they make fun of too."

"Come to think of it, they do make fun of other kids. I guess that I didn't realize it because Trelawney is kind of like my sister. I notice those kinds of things more," he replied.

"Good," said Topher. "I know that you do kind of see her as a pesky little sister, but she really is a special girl. If I ever heard someone making fun of her, I'd stand up to them and she's not even my sister."

"You're right," answered Hal. "I guess that I'll just have to be a little braver."

"You can be," said Topher. "Whenever I need help, I always ask God. He always takes care of me. He'll take care of you too if you let him."

Hal thought over what Topher said very carefully. He was very happy that he had Topher for a friend. He had learned a lot about science during his summer program. But meeting Topher was really the best part. Topher was kind of like a big brother and he was a really nice person. He was the kind of person that Hal wanted to be like someday.

**Surprise!**

Just when Hal had thought that his father was never going to ask Nanny to marry him, they came home late one night from a date "stargazing" up in the hills and she had an engagement ring. Dad had left him in charge that night and he knew that he would be in trouble if he let the kids stay up too late but Trelawney had nagged and nagged until he finally gave in. They decided to sit on the steps to wait for them so that they wouldn't miss them.

It was really kind of funny. His Dad was so mad that they were still up that they didn't even tell them. Trelawney saw the ring and the jig was up. She and Prudence were squealing and Butch was pounding Dad on the back. He was pretty excited himself. At the time it was all pretty neat. But one week later they went out on a date and this time didn't come home. Cousin Emmeline was staying with them and told them that they eloped.

He was mad at first. How could they have gotten married without them? But Cousin Emmeline explained that Nanny was so sad about her mom and dad not being there that she didn't want a wedding. She really loved Dad and wanted to be married and he really loved her and didn't care about a wedding. So they just had a ceremony and would be home the next day. That was when things got weird for him again. Right off the bat Butch started calling Nanny, Mom, and Prudence started calling her, Mommy. He didn't know what to call her.

That was when he found out how much she really loved him. She let him call her Nanny. She never made him feel bad, but everyone else did. Butch and Prudence said that he didn't really love her. His Dad was mad, but Nanny calmed him down. Even his really groovy science teacher Mr. Oliver told him that Nanny was really his mom, even if he didn't call her mom.

The only one who didn't make him feel bad was Trelawney. But that was because she understood. She had lost her her mom and dad and Dad wanted to adopt her. She loved Dad a lot, but she didn't want him to be her dad. She also didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Things didn't make sense to him until they were taking pictures after the church blessing the next Sunday. Nanny and Grammy had become really good friends that weekend. Nanny had said that she wanted a picture of just her and Grammy. When he saw them in the picture, he realized that that Nanny was looking at her like she was her Mom. He knew how much Nanny missed her own Mom, but it didn't seem to matter when it came to loving Grammy. One of the great things about Nanny was that she just loved everyone.

He made his decision right then and there. When they were leaving the house to go on their little honeymoon, he said goodbye and called her Mom. It was easier than he thought it would be. She was so happy that he thought she was going to cry. His Dad was happy too and looked like he had just won a million bucks. After they left, Grampie came up and put his hand on his shoulder and said, "I'm very proud of you, Hal. That was the best gift that you could have given them today. I know it was hard, but you made them both very happy."

Trelawney came up to him later and just said, "Your Mom is smiling in heaven. She loves you very much and is quite pleased. You have made her proud."

Trelawney always talked about her own parents being angels, so he wasn't surprised that she had started talking like this. Once she had even said that they were all having a tea party in heaven. It was weird but it was kind of nice in a way. She really believed that his Mom was up in heaven watching him. He hated to admit it, but it made him feel better when he missed her.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Because she was very sad when she left you alone," she said simply. "Now you are not alone. She is quite comforted."

He supposed that he knew what that meant, but with Trelawney you could never tell. She made it sound as though she had called her up on the phone and asked her. He supposed that she said it because she wanted to make him feel better. That was another funny thing about Trelawney. She could tease him and be real annoying, but she could also be real nice. Sometimes she really felt like a little sister.

**An Uncomfortable Visit**

Things were feeling very mixed up for Hal right now. It was only a few weeks before Christmas and everyone was really happy. But now he felt that everyone was pulling him in a different direction. On Sunday, Dad told them that they were going to have to go see Nana and Papa, who were his Mom's parents. Butch and Prudence didn't want to go. They had come a couple of months before and Nana really didn't like Mom.

He really didn't want to go either but he was afraid that it would sound disloyal to his Mom if he said so. Mom and Trelawney weren't going. They had been invited, but Dad had said that they wouldn't go unless Nana promised to be nice to Mom. Nobody told him, but Hal figured that she wouldn't promise so they stayed home.

Hal knew that Dad didn't want Mom to feel sad about anything. He had noticed that for the last few weeks he had been taking extra special care of her. He put his arm around her more often and told her he loved her. He would get really busy sometimes, but he would bring her flowers or something. If anyone ever said anything that upset her in the slightest way, they had to answer to him.

Mom seemed real happy every time that he paid attention to her. And she was always doing special things for him like cooking his favorite meals. He knew that she put little notes in his brief case so he could find them when he was at work. He knew that she really missed him when he had to work a lot, but she never complained. If he was tired, she always had a special hug for him. But Hal knew that she was unhappy about the situation with Nana.

Before they left, she hugged Dad for an extra long time. It seemed that he said that he loved her about a million times. Grammy and Grampie were coming over for the day and they told Dad not to worry. Grammy put her arm around Mom and had her "there, there, it's all right" look on her face. If it wasn't for Grammy then Hal would have been worried about Mom.

Being at Nana and Papa's house was weird. He knew that he had been there before, but he didn't recognize it. Nana said mean things about Mom, Papa said nice things. Butch and Prudence talked about how great Mom was, and Dad looked like he wanted to explode. Hal had just wanted to get away and was glad when they left. Something weird happened after they got home.

He had come into Mom and Dad's bedroom to ask Dad something. They were in bed together and Dad was lying on top of Mom and kissing her. It made him think of all the things that they probably did when the door was locked. He knew that when they did those things it would mean that someday he would have a new brother or sister.

Dad jumped off the bed real fast and Mom assured him that they weren't doing anything that he couldn't see. He kind of knew that already. They were both dressed and had the covers in between them, but still. Seeing them in that position made him think about other things. He knew that it was what all married people did, but he didn't like to think about it. Dad said that they would talk tomorrow. Hal left, but didn't tell Butch what he had seen.

He and Butch had decided that they were not going to see Nana again until she would be nice to Mom to her face. They knew that it upset Mom that Nana wouldn't be nice enough for Dad to let her see her. They just wanted to back up Mom too. They also wanted to back up Dad.

Dad was real angry at all the mean things that Nana said about Mom. But Hal knew that he was also hurt. He loved Mom very much, probably more than all three of them put together did, and they each loved her a whole lot. It hurt all of them to listen to Nana say mean things. He couldn't imagine how Dad felt. When he and Butch talked it over they decided that it wasn't fair for both Mom and Dad to have to listen to all that meanness.

They also knew that Mom would be kind and loving towards Nana because she was kind and loving to everyone. But they had decided that Nana didn't deserve someone as nice as Mom being nice to her. Especially since they knew that it was hurting her inside. So he and Butch told Dad that they would not see her again and that was that.

Dad had looked at them kind of funny, but he agreed. They would not have to see Nana again until she was nice to Mom. Then he told them that he was proud that they were standing up for Mom like this. It showed her that they really loved her. For Butch it was easy.

"I don't remember that other Mom anyway," he said. "I just know that I have a Mom now and I love her and I want her to be happy."

But if he thought that saying that would make Dad happy, he was wrong. Dad looked kind of sad. Hal thought that it was because he was remembering his other Mom. It made him realize something.

"Dad," he had asked. "Can I talk to you alone?"

"Sure son," he replied and told Butch that he could leave.

"Dad," he said. "I know that you are really happy that you married Mom, but do you ever think about my other Mom?"

"Yes, I do," he answered.

"Does it ever make you feel sad?"

His Dad got a real funny look on his face. Hal could see that even though the answer to his question was yes, he didn't want to say yes. He suddenly realized that his Dad was just as mixed up about these things as he was. It kind of made him feel better. Finally he spoke.

"Son," he said. "I love Mom very much. There's nobody else in the world like her and sometimes I feel like I am the luckiest man in the world that she fell in love with me and wanted to marry me. But I have never stopped loving your mother. I will always love her, but I know that I have to let it go."

"What do you mean let it go?" asked Hal.

"Well, now that Mom is my wife, I really have to put her first," he said. "That's why Nana is so mad at me. She knows how much I love Mom and that I have made her the most important person in my life. I know that I am the most important person in her life. At the very least, I owe her that much."

"So you love Mom more because you owe it to her?" Hal was confused.

"No, that's not what I meant," he said, looking frustrated. "I love both of them very, very much. But Mom, Phoebe, is my wife now. She's the most special person in my life. We're going to spend the rest of our lives together and have children together. My life with your Mom is over. It took me a long time to accept that she was gone and that things were never going to be the same again. Falling in love with Mom wasn't any kind of a plan. When you fall in love with someone and want to marry them it's because you both really care about each other. You don't try to fall in love, you just do."

"So then you didn't just want to marry Mom because she was real pretty and took good care of the house?" Hal said. "That's what Nana made it sound like and it made me mad at her."

"No," said his Dad. "I fell in love with her because she is a sweet and kind and caring person. She brought us together as a family. She made me feel like I could fall in love with someone again and that she would love me completely. Once I realized that she loved me, that was it. I wanted her to be my wife."

"I understand now," said Hal. "You know, Dad, I don't know much about husbands, but I think that you're a really good one."

"What makes you say that?" asked his Dad curiously.

"When you're not around, if anyone ever mentions your name Mom gets this really special smile. And in the afternoons when it starts to get close to the time when you come home, Mom starts looking for you. And if you call up to say that you'll be late, she looks a little sad. And sometimes, when she thinks that no one is watching, she looks at her rings and smiles. She doesn't smile like that for anyone except you."

Dad got a little smile on his face and said, "Really, Hal? I never knew that."

"Well," said Hal. "I guess that I'm the first one to tell you."

Hal thought about his Mom and Dad and how much they loved each other and how happy they made each other. He hoped that someday he would find a girl to marry so that she would love him as much as Mom loved Dad. And he would make sure to love her every bit as much as his Dad loved Mom. He wanted to be just as happy as his folks were.

**A Comfortable Visit**

After Thanksgiving, things had gotten really busy at home for Hal and everybody else. It seemed that everyone was busy working on the Christmas pageant, but Hal had a more important project in mind. One of the things that he had discovered about his Mom was that she preferred gifts that were handmade instead of things bought in stores. She was a really sentimental person as well, so she liked old fashioned things, especially if they came from the family.

He wanted to do something really special for her so that she would know how much he loved her. Since Grammy had become her best friend, he decided to ask her advice. One afternoon after school, he went over to her house. He knew that she would be alone, because everyone else was out doing things. She seemed really surprised when he came to the door.

"Hal! What a lovely surprise! You never come to visit your Grammy in the middle of the week!" she said.

"I don't? Yeah, I guess that I don't," he said sheepishly. "Can I ask your advice about something important?"

"Of course," she replied warmly. "Why don't you come in and have some milk and cookies. The cookies aren't from a box, I promise."

Hal laughed. When Grammy and Grampie had stayed with them while his Dad and Mom went away on their little honeymoon, it had been a family joke that Prudence wouldn't eat cookies for a snack because they came from a box. After they sat down, he got right down to business.

"Grammy," he explained. "I need your help with something very important. I want to give Mom something special for Christmas. She likes things that we make her much more than things that we buy, so I wanted to make her something real special. The thing is that I don't have any ideas."

"Why that's a wonderful thought!" said Grammy. "You know that anything you give your Mom is something that she will treasure."

"Well, yeah. People always say that," replied Hal. "But I know that there are some things that she'll treasure more than others. I know that she likes anything about love and family. I know that she likes old-fashioned things. I want to give her something that she can use, not just on special occasions, but every day."

"You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?" she said, looking at him with approval. "Why do you want it do be something she would use every day?"

"Well, I know that this is going to sound corny," he answered. "But I want her to think of me and how much I love her every time she uses it."

"That's very sweet, Hal," she said smiling. "What gave you that idea?"

"Well," he said. "I don't know if you ever noticed, but a lot of times she looks at her engagement ring and wedding ring and smiles. It's a real special smile and I know that it means that she's thinking about Dad. I just want to give her something to look at that will make her smile and think about me."

"Hal, that is the nicest thing that I've heard anyone say in a long time. I think that it's wonderful that you love her so much," she commented.

"Oh I do Grammy," he said sincerely. "But sometimes I feel bad about my other Mom."

"Why is that, dear?" asked Grammy in her concerned tone of voice.

"I still feel a little funny calling someone else Mom. And sometimes I feel like I love her just as much as my other Mom. When we went to Nana and Papa's house, I felt kind of bad," he explained. He hadn't planned on talking about this, but he was glad that he could now. He really didn't know who else he could have talked to. He had a feeling that his Dad wouldn't want to talk about it again.

Grammy had a funny look on her face. She didn't seem to know what to say. That was weird because Grammy was like Mom, she always knew what to say to make you feel better. Instead she asked a question.

"Why did you feel bad at Nana and Papa's house? Did they make you feel bad?"

"Not Papa," he said right away. "Papa was really cool. He listened to all the things that I am doing in school and asked questions about it. He even asked me how I liked my pretty new Mom. That made me feel good, especially after what Nana said."

"What did Nana say?" asked Grammy as if she were afraid.

"You have to promise not to tell Mom. Dad made us promise on the way home in the car that we wouldn't say anything that Nana said that would make her feel sad. That was just about everything that Nana said," he answered.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But if you do, I promise not to say a word to your Mom. I really love her and I don't want her to be sad either," she assured him.

"Okay," said Hal. "Butch and Prudence kept talking about Mom and how nice she was. They were kind of laying it on pretty thick. Dad took Butch out of the room and asked him if he was trying to make Nana mad."

"Was he?"

"Yeah," said Hal. "He was hoping that if he made her mad enough that she would never want to see him again. But then Nana said something that made Dad real mad. I was surprised that he didn't lose his cool."

"I'm afraid to ask what she said," replied Grammy.

"She told Dad that he was having a mid-life crisis and that he had forgotten all about my other Mom. She said that Mom took advantage of him in his weakness and stolen him away. She said something else, but it's kind of embarrassing," he said.

"Well, Hal," said Grammy. "You've told me everything else. You might as well tell me that too."

"She said that all Dad wanted was a sweet young thing to warm his bed every night and she hoped that Mom wasn't keeping up him too late," said Hal, turning a little pink. "Butch and Prudence didn't really know what she meant and before we could stop her, Prudence said 'Daddy told us not to bother them when the door is locked unless the house was on fire because they were trying to make a baby.'"

Grammy was quiet for a minute and then asked, "What did your Dad say?"

"He just said 'Prudence' in his 'you better not say another word if you know what is good for you' voice. Prudence did not say anything else for the rest of the night. I was really glad when we left. Nana just doesn't understand that the kids don't remember Mom. They like having a Mom again. I have to admit that I do too," finished Hal. It felt good that he finally told someone.

"Well, Hal," said Grammy. "I think that you have to realize that you are not responsible for how your Nana feels or doesn't feel. But you can control what you feel. I don't think that your Mom ever wanted your Dad not to remarry and have a wife and a mother for you children. You were all very unhappy before your Mom came along and pulled you together as a family. Now that she and your Dad are married, you will have a strong family again. Your Dad is too busy at his job to be both father and mother. Maybe someday Nana will see that."

"Maybe," said Hal.

"Now getting back to the Christmas present idea," she said. "Why don't you try to think of some things that she uses every day."

Hal thought, "Well, she uses a lot of stuff in the kitchen because she's always cooking and baking. And of course she cleans the house. And she works on her knitting. She likes to work out in the garden."

"It sounds like she is a very busy person," said Grammy.

"Yeah, she is. And that doesn't count all of her errands and the driving around that she does," he added.

"Did you ever think about making her something to help her stay organized?" she asked.

"I guess I didn't think about it because she is pretty organized," said Hal. "And she has a chalkboard to help her remember things."

"Hmm," said Grammy. "Let's think about it. Maybe you could make her something nicer than a chalkboard. What does she use it for?"

"Notes to herself mostly," said Hal. "But now that we have more chores to do around the house, she likes to keep track. Everyone was fighting over what they had to do, so now we take turns."

"Well," said Grammy. "I have an idea, but you'll probably need help from Grampie. Have you ever done any carpentry before?"

"I helped build a porch this summer," said Hal. "But I don't have time to do that."

Grammy smiled. "I wasn't thinking of anything as big as a porch. You know that Grampie brought down his tools and set up a workshop in the basement. If you already know how to use tools, I bet he can help you make something that you can finish by Christmas."

"That would be really cool," said Hal. Then he had another one of his great ideas.

"Grammy," he said. "You know Butch knows how to use tools and stuff. Trelawney is real good at sewing and stuff, and even Prudence is learning. Maybe you and Grampie can help us all make presents for Mom."

"That's a lovely idea, dear," replied Grammy. "We would enjoy helping you and get to spend more time with you."

Hal grinned. "Yeah, and it would be an early Christmas present for Dad."

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"If we were all out of the house at the same time, then he could have more time alone with Mom," he answered.

Grammy shook her head. "You certainly are growing up Hal. I am sure that both your Mom and Dad would enjoy the time alone."

"Grammy, I'm not trying to make a joke about this," said Hal. "But do you think that we're going to have a baby brother or sister sometime soon?"

Grammy looked at him as if she were not sure of exactly what to say.

"It's okay, Grammy. Really it is," he said. "I know where babies come from and I know that they both really want one."

"Well, Hal, " she said. "In that case, I will tell you that I think that they may get their wish and have a baby soon. It's just that you have to remember that it takes nine months and they only got started a couple of months ago."

"I know they did," said Hal. "I had a man-to-man talk about it with Dad before they got married. He said that what men and women do to make babies is a sacred act and they would only do it after they got married."

"Well," said Grammy. "I'm glad to know that."

"And it's not just because they didn't want to make a baby before they got married," he assured her. "I asked if they ever thought about using birth control and he said no. They were only going to do it after they made a commitment. Dad said that when you love a woman, you respect her in every way."

"I'm glad to know that your Dad has taught you so well," she said seriously.

"Yes he did," said Hal. "Someday I want to be just like him and marry a girl who loves me like Mom loves him. I want to love her and treat her special, just like he treats Mom."

"You're a good son, Hal," said Grammy proudly. "I am very happy that you told me all this. Grampie and I worked very hard to raise our boys right. I'm glad to know that we succeeded with your father."

"Grammy," said Hal. "No offense, but I don't think that you succeeded with Uncle Bob and Uncle Ben."

"Well," she admitted. "Nobody's perfect."

Hal looked at her and they both laughed. Uncle Ben and Uncle Bob had never gotten married. Hal figured that it was just as well. He would have felt sorry for their wives.

**Epilogue: Men and Women**

On his way home, Hal thought about his afternoon with Grammy. They had talked about a lot of things. He knew why Mom loved her so much. Grammy was a very smart lady and she loved people the way that Mom did. He thought about how lucky he was to have two great women like Mom and Grammy in his life. He hoped that someday he would find a great woman like them to marry.

He was also lucky to have Dad and Grampie. Papa was a great guy too. He felt sorry for Nana. If only she would learn to love everyone like they did, then she would be happier. He thought about Uncle Ben and Uncle Bob. He didn't feel sorry for them. They seemed to like themselves just the way they were. He just knew that he definitely didn't want to be like them. He did want to be like Dad and Grampie. If he were like them, then he would be able to find a woman to really love him.

He wondered about his other Mom. He decided that Trelawney was right. She was in heaven and she could look down and see them. He decided that she loved Mom too. Since she wasn't with them anymore to make them happy, she would be glad that Mom was there to do it. He thought that she wouldn't mind that Mom had taken her place. If she couldn't be there, then she would be happy to know that someone was there who would love them just as much as she would have.

He was glad he had a new Mom, especially his new Mom. He was sure that there was no one else like her in the world. He would make her a really special Christmas present and every time she looked at it, she would smile.

**The End**

_To be continued . . ._


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